skyrider

Rocky.....one of the things about "processing and reprocessing" our twi experiences is to note that TWI was a moving target. Depending on which twi period(s) one experienced, the processing takes its accounting: 1) In 1972, twi was small, insignificant, commune-ish, summer camps, miniscule corps program, meals in brc basement, vpw-charisma, love-bombing, etc. 2) By 1982, twi was expanding rapidly, music groups everywhere, five corps campuses, planes, motorcoaches, large WOW group, WOW-vet program, college outreach... 3) By 1992, twi was rebuilding after 'fog years,' some-80% walked away, geer/lynn/other splinters, new classes, consolidating branches, purges, legalism.... 4) By 2002, twi was adjusting to martindale's ouster, rosie's micromanagement, script-reading on sundays, erasing lcm's classes, more turmoil and unrest.... 5) By 2012, twi is.......uh, unclothed to public view, pathetic in its numbers, skewing its importance, and comical in its boastings of wierwille lore. Yes, many experienced an overlapping of trends, policies, new leadership, growing legalism, etc. Some never went corps or staff.....and THEREFORE, have a whole different set of field perspectives and shuffling of local leadership. Some remain entrenched in the wierwille mystique of mogdom and refuse to consider any objective processing despite the overwhelming evidence of vpw's plagairism, predation and pontification. Some really would rather live in a dilution past where they romanticize their 'significance in twi's spiritual subculture'.....period. The open forum here at GS is a goldmine for those who really want to weigh its value. Unequivocally, these open discussions lay bare that wierwille's twi was structured, promoted, and proliferated under the guise of deception and denial.

Maybe, the description that fits is......"twig-trained follower." A *TWI TRAINED BELIEVER* would, more appropriately, have enrolled in Fellow-Laborers, Way Corps, and even Staff. During my eight years of corps/staff.....wierwille was very outspoken about those truly committed to twi training via corps and staff involvement. And, Rosalie has sent out promotional snippets of staff employment for those advanced class grads to reach greater spiritual potential. Here's the irony......even today, after all these years when I've talked with CURRENT TWI-FOLLOWERS.....when we get down to specifics and trustee deceptions (etc. etc)...these current followers ADMIT that they DON'T GO TO HQ AND COULD CARE LESS WHAT THEY DO. I'm not exaggerating these details. Four current twi-followers have told me.....THEY DON'T GO TO HQ, yet their twigs are a safe haven. :confused:

Of course......the straw man argument Definition: "To "attack a straw man" is to create the illusion of having refuted a proposition by replacing it with a superficially similar yet unequivalent proposition (the "straw man"), and refuting it, without ever having actually refuted the original position."

John....care to elaborate on being a TWI TRAINED believer? I doubt whether another thousand comments by me could have stated it any better than what you, yourself, have self-described. Sounds like the indoctrination is complete. Wasn't it Mike who, years ago, described Jesus coming back to earth holding a PFAL book? .

John......you and I are talking about two different things. I am NOT talking about feelings. I am describing the underlying concepts that twi uses *to their advantage* to subvert and indoctrinate followers. And, yeah.....I can see your point about feeling MORE ALONE....ie isolated....being a drug person than being a TWI TRAINED believer. In your own words, and your 36 years of involvement......what you relate to is commonly referred to as INSTITUTIONALIZED. Your surroundings frame who you are. And, that's my point: indoctrination via isolation does just that.

Were you ever into Fellow-Laborers? How about the corps program? Were you a staffer at a root locale? Yeah.....I get your "willingly cooperative" comment, John. Back in the mid-70s......twi's corps brochure and sign-up application were vague 'learn to serve God' concepts. You see, John......that's how INDOCTRINATION works. It hides behind nebulous goals on a grand scale. And your comment, "Any church does this." Does any church have security patrol 24/7, bodyguards, trained dogs and corps bless patrol during summer camp training? Sure, every 'church' has a person who crawls under the mainstage prior to their event searching for bombs! sure, every main pastor speaks suspiciously of FBI agents on their grounds.....like wierwille did at roa. Twi's ISOLATION......especially corps/staff/hq projected an affront to the 'outside world.' ISOLATION and TWI go together like peanut butter and jelly.

ISOLATION is used to stealthily indoctrinate the follower. Years later, ISOLATION is used as a submission club. Either one walks in lockstep with twi......or the bully club comes out. If you still dissent, more confrontation...to follow their policies. If you STILL dissent.........demotions and public castigation. In the end, ISOLATION is used as the ultimate to sully your character, your reputation. Yep......mark and avoid is their way of saying you cause division and strife.

The indoctrination and subversion in twi would not be possible without ISOLATION. When I was first introduced to twi in the 70's......twig fellowships were three times a week. Under the guise of "undershepherding" John (the guy who witnessed to me) would call me everyday to 'see how I was doing.' Later, I learned that this was a twi-policy to help boost pfal class rosters and recruitment. And, in pfal......wierwille challenged the students to put away all their reading material for the next three months and delve into his class material and books. Did wierwille exhort me to go to my heavenly Father in daily prayer? Nope. Did wierwille encourage me to take daily steps to ensure that Jesus was mediator and lord of my life. Nope. Every class was simply a steppingstone for ANOTHER class......and into the belly of the 'whale.' Class after class ----> and then, go WOW. Get away from your friends. Leave your home town. Was this wierwille's way of stealthily introducing MORE isolation? What constitutes isolation? 1) Separation from family, friends, education, career path, social network 2) Separation from other sources to dissolve critical thinking 3) Programs, like WOW and Way Corps, that insulate from all outside influence 4) Corps/Staff -- all news was filtered thru twi's filters of spirituality 5) Major Events in twi scheduled over Thanksgiving and Easter weekends 6) All holidays were tweaked by twi to errode family connections & memories 7) An Us-versus-Them mindset was foundational in many twi teachings 8) Buzz words like "earthly family" were deliberate and biting 9) Twi's use of "true household" was a counterfeit replacement 10) Relationships are built over time......and twi derailed family, spouse, child bonds Isolation is a powerful weapon. Strategically and stealthily, twi intervened in one's youthful relationships and expanding parameters. At those critical junctures in life's development, twi's isolation was very disruptive and derailed the lives of thousands. Far more than lending a helping hand, recruiting was their objective. The corps indoctrination was, often, from dawn to dusk......to nightowl. Not only were we structured into a work/study program throughout the day......but 'household responsibilities' each month. Whether that was dishroom detail, dining room setup, classroom setup, campfire and outdoor setup, ushering duties, etc......there was very little time to process anything. The indoctrination was complete. The ISOLATION OF ONE-SIDED INDOCTRINATION was inescapable. There were times when many fell asleep during teachings, or mealtime......or simply collapsed into their bed at night. IMO....twi's micromanagement escalated even further in the 1990's. As hard as that might be to imagine, yes it happened. Detailed schedules were to be filled out. See, no isolation of personal privacy. Twi WANTED in. They wanted to search out any suspicion of debt, doubt, homosexuality, unproductiveness, dissent, etc. Either you fill out those schedules.....or get out you disobedient one. Corps meeting phone hookups.....250-mile radius to attend sunday teachings.......way mag subscriptions mandatory.....etc. The dirty little secret........twi ISOLATES followers and then, years later threatens to ISOLATE them from the group. Yeah, once you've cut off all support systems and family and submitted to twi, they are in a position to ISOLATE you. The old switcheroo........they know how ISOLATED you'd be without them and use it as a club over you. It's a dirty little game twi plays.

IMO.....like so many things in twi, there were mixed messages everywhere. On one hand, the first three manifestations were expounded as *inspirational*......."as the spirit gives utterance." How many of us walked on inspired impulse? inspired to help? inspired to get involved? inspired to speak out? Simple, right? Don't think about it. Don't analyze it. Just do it. Yet, on the other hand......twi's intermediate class got specific. Length of tongue needs to be so long.....and length of interpretation (gist) should be near the same length. It's the sum and substance of that which was just spoken in an unknown tongue.......kinda close? sort of the substance? Yet, even wierwille's SIT sounded redundant.....and his TIP sounded King James-y...... But hey.......wierwille 'taught' us how that Tennessee guy hollered and he hollered (that's what they do in the south, right?) DID ANYONE ELSE EVER NOTICE.......that the intermediate class was the least attended class in the pfal series? From personal experience, I can tell you that of all the twi classes I oversaw......the intermediate class was the most challenging. And yes, even in twi.....I often considered that there was much more to be learned in this area. To me, twi was not the end-all of teaching about the manifestations or the power of God. Was twi just another stepping-stone on this journey thru life.......?? Heck, even the Apostle Paul was wrong on some things........surely, wierwille was! <_<

"Shuck the Cornfield Cult"

"One Flew Over the Cult's Cuckoo Nest" author -- Chief Skyrider

Someone told me that Howard married Wanda. Other than that?.......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Mrs. Wierwille wrote a book connecting vpw's associations and learning to scholars, ministers and occultists. Yet......few have connected the dots that vpw and his mogship were fraudulent and fabricated from the get-go.

Why not a "connect the dots" book.....? When dots are connected.....all pictures are flesh-eating carnivores. <_<

If you wrote a book of your twi experience..... 1) What would you title your book? 2) Where would you devote your greater message and chapters in the book? ..a) Twi's deception and betrayal ..b) Manipulation and exploitation ..c) Friendships, relationships and adventures ..d) Learning wierwille's version....and then, rejecting much of it ..e) A whole new world of learning after those youthful days in twi ..f) Other? I would entitle my book.......BEWARE OF SUBTLE INDOCTRINATION: My Life Story In my book, I would subdivide it into four parts -- three or four chapters each 1) My background and desire to know God......and twi's subtle deceptions 2) Classes and programs that deliver a collective message and, stealthily oppress individual boundaries 3) The struggles and challenges with coming to grips with twi's seduction and betrayal 4) Walking away from twi, starting a new life and a family overcoming obstacles to achieve accomplishments Yeah, like I'm really going to take the time to write a book.....

When twi's claim of being "God's true household" is tested with specifics......it fails miserably. Where are the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers......in twi? Why is wierwille's "new light" still being recyled nearly 50 years later? Is there any OTHER 'new light?' No prophets either? No evangelists? In fact, if a true evangelist proclaims and reaches new converts to the gospel of the lord Jesus Christ....NOT just twi-recruits..... twi is at a loss of evangelists, as well. Heck, one could easily make the case that twi doesn't have any pastors or teachers, either. Or, never did. <_<

See.....THAT'S the thing that was so striking in my experience. Why couldn't a corps guy date....and/or marry a college division girl? Aren't they IN the same group? Apparently not! Wierwille had devised a two-tier system.......corps and non-corps. THAT is what I observed in 1978. Oh, yeah.....you *could* marry a college division girl (as some did).....BUT THEN, you need to raise that person up to the level of corps. When corps married a non-corps......he/she was designated as 'corps spouse.' And, by the 1990's, such couples needed to go back in-rez to maintain the corps status. So there you have it.......this farm kid's insight of wierwille's corps program in 1978. All farm animals were equal......but SOME were more equal than others.

And......isolation and peer pressure were powerful enforcers, as well. Wierwille had devised his corps indoctrination program in rigid isolation.....nearly a 24/7 world unto itself. All housing on-grounds. Work, study, food, laundry, entertainment(?), etc........an indoctrinational bubble. Sure, there were a few corps who slipped off-campus on a Saturday for a beer or two. Some would stop and buy a donut during their early morning run......from their $20/month mandatory spending fund. But really?.........every device was tipped in twi's scales to indoctrinate the corps. Even date nights.....consisted of lunchtime announcements to "get a date" for an upcoming, in-house dance or movie. When I was in-rez at Emporia, twi had a "college division" of students who had a whole different set of parameters. For a few months, I was "dating" a college division girl. And, even for corps.....THAT was even frowned upon. Unequally yoked and all.....ya know. :B)

No thanks.......no sequel for me. The first 'parade of fools' was enough to turn the stomach.

Yeah......ain't that a kicker? Wierwille LEAVES his Van Wert Church to search for more truth......but when corps start LEAVING his ministry, he raised a stink and starts name-calling. So, why can't corps LEAVE and search for more truth? Was wierwille supposed to be the end-all in searching? What if there was A HIGHER SUMMIT that I could have climbed if I'd never succombed to twi indoctrination? Perhaps, twi burdened me with excess weight and non-essential stuff that inhibited my upward climb spiritually? Twi is stuck in posthumously platitudes. <_<

PFAL '77 was billed as a Live Class Presentation by Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille.....10 years after the original 1967 pfal class filming. Months leading up to PFAL '77, it was promoted as a last time you'll get a chance to see vpw teach this class live. On the corporate and promotional side of things, pfal NEEDED updating. With the clock ticking on wierwille's age, it was time to get this done and UPDATED for 'the Word to move over the world.' Also, twi had invested heavily into a/v equipment and cameras and joe c0ulter was the man of the hour to oversee this grand scale undertaking. This class WAS going to replace the old version.....no doubt about it! At Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana......PFAL '77 was welcomed with much hoopla and fanfare. As the live class entered into the "Lights! Camera! Action!" phase.....the audience was instructed when to be quiet and when to applaud. When wierwille told a joke.....laugh. The prompting of the audience was undeniable and panning the audience was in play to give glimpses of wierwille's reach and impact to a future class somewhere. Well, in the end......wierwille's teachings and performance didn't measure up to expectations. Behind closed doors, this class was critiqued and discussed. The murmurings that leaked out a few months later were that this class was NOT going to replace the 1967 pfal class. From a doctrinal, presentational and over-all better version?.....NOPE. The Live PFAL '77 Class soon disappeared down the memory hole of its original intent....to replace the older version.

Yeah......corps notes. Far away from hq, we had to call in for those corps meetings each week. One of the corps girls in our city could type about 130-140 words/minute and had notes verbatim that were distributed to all of us. Our 'notes' could have been considered transcripts. During those years, martindale made alot of incriminating statements and slanders on corps night. He also referenced vulgar descriptions of homosexuals and spewed venom to those corps who exited twi. I sent all those meticulous corps notes to P@ul All3n.......in case he needed specific references for his (and F3rn's) lawsuit involving martindale's sexual predation. No surprise that this lawsuit was settled out of court.

Rocky.......that "life experience or insight" you mentioned was just homegrown, rural independence. Raised on a wheat farm in rural America, milking cows, driving tractors at age 10, hunting pheasants and rabbits, riding motorcycles, playing all the sports in the county high school,.......and fixing anything and everything required some thought and common sense. During wheat harvest, it was common to work 15-hour days and watching the sunset turn to darkness before shutting down the combines and heading home for the day. So often, during those inrez corps days.......I would ponder, "Why can't we just go watch the sunset and enjoy the beauty of the Lord's splendor painted across the sky? Is another night of teachings really all that important?" Observing how wierwille and his corps coordinators herded the corps around during the corps program........groups, ALWAYS GROUPS. It reminded me of my boyhood days of rounding up the sheep from the outer pasture. At one time, we had around 800 sheep.....years of feeding, lambing, shearing, tending fences, etc. The corps were sheep.....hahaha. I know, I know......why did I stay in the corps program? Must have been the girls......

Remember......this verse was thrown in the mix as well. Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Yeah....wierwille was a narcissist and EVERYTHING revolved around him. Period. Ding, ding, ding, ding......alarm bells should have been going off everywhere. IMO.......all those men like walter, vince, geer, lynn, townsend, etc. were just too intimidated to confront wierwille head-on. And, wierwille knew it! He projected this phoney spiritual-schtick that kept his inner circle mesmerized by his presence and deluded confidence. Wierwille was masking PRIDE. The inner circle fed the mystique........the mystique fed the aura........and the aura fed the masses. The cult of personality had been born. The wierwille ministry was built on the pride of man. The red flags were flying and twi was just another religion, among many. The works of man were implemented to justify one's righteousness. Fast forward 30-some years later, and the FACTS COME TO LIGHT.......plagairism, sexual predation, fabricated revelations, drunkenness, etc. and some wonder if the man manufactured his own version of speaking in tongues. The masses have exited and the twi auditorium echoes with emptiness on sundays.